Bruins alumni to play in Bridgewater

Terry Oâ€™Reilly is among the former Boston Bruins expected to participate in an alumni game in Bridgewater this month.

A Boston Bruins alumni team is coming to Bridgewater, and they're bringing along a special guest.

"Ray Bourque was supposed to come but he had a double booking," said Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre general manager Kevin Benjamin.

"So in replace of Ray Bourque, Theo Fleury is coming and playing for the locals against the Bruins."

Mr. Fleury scored over 1,000 career points in the NHL and was a Stanley Cup champion with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and an Olympic gold medallist in 2002. In 2009, he wrote the bestselling book "Playing with Fire," and today often speaks publicly about his years as a sexual abuse victim as a youth and later battles with drug and alcohol addiction.

The Bruins alumni are scheduled to play the local "LCLC all-stars" team on October 17 in the first special event at Bridgewater's new arena.

Part of the proceeds from the game will go to minor hockey.

Players expected to be on hand for the event include:

• Rick Middleton - Had five straight seasons of at least 40 goals and 90 points. Scored 51 goals and won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1981-82. The following season he led all playoff scorers with 33 points, including a record 19 in one series versus Buffalo. Played for Team Canada at the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cups. Was a three-time all-star.

• Terry O'Reilly - The tough former Bruins captain had five straight seasons of over 200 penalty minutes and scored a career-high 29 goals and 90 points in 1977-78. He later coached Boston to the Stanley Cup final in 1988.

• Ken Linseman - Scored 807 points and had 1,727 penalty minutes in 860 career games with four teams, including five and a half years with the Bruins. Had 92 points and 275 penalty minutes in 1981-82 with the Philadelphia Flyers. Often skating on a line with Glenn Anderson and Mark Messier, he won a Stanley Cup with the Oilers in 1984.

• Al Iafrate - Defenceman was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL draft. Went on to become a three-time all-star with the Leafs and Washington Capitals, and held the hardest shot record for 16 years with a blast of over 105 miles per hour at the 1993 all-star game. Three times he scored more than 20 goals in a season. Played briefly for the Bruins late in his career.

Bob Sweeney, Bruce Shoebottom, John Wensink, Dave Shaw and Daniel LaCouture are also expected to play for the Bruins alumni team.